3 Md. men killed in separate traffic accidents over the weekend

Two Carroll County men and a Perry Hall resident died in three unrelated traffic accidents over the weekend, state police reported yesterday.

Carroll County,

Brian E. Barnes, 39, of the 3700 block of Singer St. in Hampstead, was riding his motorcycle on Upper Beckleysville Road in Hampstead about 1:15 a.m. yesterday when he apparently lost control of the vehicle while rounding a curve too fast, police said.

The motorcycle struck a curb on the right side of the road, crossed two lanes of traffic and hit a telephone pole. Mr. Barnes was taken to Carroll County General Hospital where he died, said Cpl. Kerin Anders of the state police.

Mr. Barnes, who was not wearing a helmet, apparently had been drinking, police reported.

In a second Carroll County accident, Brian C. McCauley, 19, of the 1800 block of Old Taneytown Road in Westminster, was killed Saturday.

Mr. McCauley was driving south on Crouse Mill Road just outside Taneytown when he failed to negotiate a curve. His Chevrolet Geo struck an embankment on the left side of the road and overturned several times before coming to rest on its roof, police said.

Mr. McCauley was flown by state police helicopter to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he later died. A 15-year-old female passenger in the car was not injured in the 4:13 a.m. accident, police said.

Baltimore County

A 30-year-old Perry Hall man was killed early Saturday when his truck was struck by an alleged drunken driver, police said.

Dimitris Vakiaros of the first block of Cross Wall Court was driving a Dodge Raider south on Perry Hall Boulevard at Rossville Boulevard at 3:40 a.m. when his truck was hit by a Toyota Paseo driven by Heather Wheeler, 21, of the first block of Leatherwood Place, police said.

The truck hit a guardrail and went over it, rolling about 70 feet down an embankment. Mr. Vakiaros was ejected from his truck, landing about 30 feet away, police said.

Mr. Vakiaros was taken to Francis Scott Key Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 5 a.m.

Ms. Wheeler was also taken to Key, where she was treated for minor injuries. She was charged at the hospital with driving while intoxicated and released on her own recognizance, police said.